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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24906451">Relieve, Reveal, Respond, and Rejoice</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Airen_Thiren/pseuds/Airen_Thiren'>Airen_Thiren</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>A gift for the HMS Harmony Discord, Beauty with words, F/M, First Kisses, Grimbright-ish, I wrote this in the span of 6 hours, I'm quite proud of this., Introspection, Kisses, Lots of kissing, Love Confessions, and seconds, and thirds, more might be added</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-06-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-06-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 03:19:36</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,752</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24906451</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Airen_Thiren/pseuds/Airen_Thiren</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>He relieved her aches. They revealed their hearts.</p><p>She responded to his restraint. They rejoiced.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Hermione Granger/Harry Potter</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>48</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Relieve, Reveal, Respond, and Rejoice</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>We all know what authors/shippers like me do with scenes like this. Enjoy.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>He saw her drowning.</p><p>Her shoulders shuddered under the weight. She had been trying to hold in her tears for the past few days, but he could see that she was near her breaking point. She was drowning in sorrow, but for some reason, she would not let her tears flow out and take her grief with them. She was holding her dams together through sheer will, but it was drowning her.</p><p>Harry felt his heart break at the sight of her. Hermione had always been his source of strength, even if he only realized that recently. It hurt him to see her using that strength to prolong her suffering. Oh, how he wished she would just cry, just let it out of her, just let him lend his strength to her to weather the flood. If she would not let her dams break, then he would break the tides that pushed against them. </p><p>With a familiar fire in him, Harry strode over to the radio and switched it off the broadcast that only served to build upon Hermione’s grief. He searched the channels for something, anything, that could have a chance of helping him in his mission. Eventually, the soft notes of music began to play. Harry didn’t know the song, but right now, he didn’t care. This would work for his purposes. </p><p>As the opening notes drifted through the air, the green-eyed youth approached his companion and held out an inviting hand. Confusion played across her face, but he simply waited expectantly. Her brown eyes flicked from his hand to his eyes and saw the pleading look in them. With a resigned breath, she took his hand and let him lead her into the middle of the tent. Whatever he had planned, she would play along.<br/>
<br/>
Slowly, almost as in warning, Harry ghosted his hands up to her neck. Finding the clasp, he left his hands there. Hermione understood what it was he was doing. He was asking her. She could only stare at him. She would not stop him. Seeing her answer, the clasp was undone, and the locket was removed. Hermione felt her shoulders lift and some of her tension leave her. Harry cast the locket aside, and it thunked on the table. His hands took a gentle hold of hers and softly tugged her further into the middle. Confusion once more filled her mind as Harry began to move oddly, as though he was…</p><p>The music finally registered in her head. She watched as Harry moved to the beat, and he watched as Hermione observed the moment before her. He noticed the almost imperceptible quirk of her lip, the little tick as she fought to hold back her smile. He wasn’t going to let her get out of this that easily. Their hands were still clasped together, and Harry used that to his advantage. Pumping their arms back and forth, he saw Hermione’s torso twist with his motions. The small tick of her lips had given way to a soft, barely-there smile. </p><p><em>Looks like I’ll have to try harder</em>, he thought to himself.</p><p>Trying harder only meant amplifying the motions he had already been doing. That was all it took before Hermione’s small smile grew into a true one that was just beginning to reach her eyes. Soon, she too was joining Harry in moving to the music, and both teenagers soon lost the world for the rhythm of the music. Laughter soon pealed through the air around them as their dance became more ridiculous.<br/>
<br/>
Their laughter softened as the song began to die down. Small chuckles huffed through them as they slowly began spinning in place, drawing close. Hermione laid her head on Harry’s shoulder, and he nuzzled her hair, inhaling the faint scent of vanilla that used to be much stronger. Slowly, their spin wound down with the music. It was hesitant, as though neither wanted to leave the bright bubble they had fashioned for themselves. But the song kept slowing down, and no matter how hard they tried, they could no longer keep their spirits buoyed enough to continue their escape. Their moment of joy was ending.</p><p>But, as the duo spun to a standstill, their arms remained around each other. Harry pulled away only just enough to look at Hermione. He saw her eyes begin to take on the weight of her sorrow once again. </p><p>Hermione saw the pleading look in his eyes, as though he was begging her to let him help more.</p><p>Harry noticed the resignation in her gaze, and he felt his face harden in determination.</p><p>Her eyes grew wide at his look, he really wanted to help? </p><p>
  <em>Why?</em>
</p><p>
  <em>You know why.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Do I?</em>
</p><p>
  <em>I think you do.</em>
</p><p>She gasped, but so softly that one might have mistaken it for another breath. Harry’s face began to fall, and Hermione tightened her grip on his arm. That handsome face became questioning as he searched hers. </p><p>
  <em>Do you really?</em>
</p><p>
  <em>I think I do.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>You do?</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Yes.</em>
</p><p>Harry lost himself in her eyes. The clear truth of her thoughts shining through, lighting up the dimness once again. He felt as though he was falling into those pools of chocolate brown. Closer and closer still, they drew him in. In the deepest part of him, he could feel their pull. He could feel her pull.</p><p>
  <em>I want to.</em>
</p><p><em>Me too.</em><br/>
<br/>
Hermione could feel his shallow breath ghosting across her cheeks and lips. She gripped him in a silent plea. Harry stopped just before.</p><p>
  <em>I want this, but now’s not the right time.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Seriously?</em>
</p><p>He shot a hand up to gently cup her cheek, keeping her eyes locked with his. He had to make her understand. </p><p>
  <em>If we give in now…</em>
</p><p>
  <em>…it would be like we were giving up hope.</em>
</p><p>Her eyes filled with understanding. She saw what he saw. They had to have something to hope for. Something to aim for after they had done what they set out to do. But still…</p><p>
  <em>It’s not fair.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>I know.</em>
</p><p>Harry grew puzzled when she bit her lip, but soon realized her intentions when her gaze met his again, this time from beneath her eyelashes. He huffed out a shallow, shuddering breath as her hand slowly laid itself on his jaw, her thumb stroking his cheek. This was dangerous.</p><p><em>I don’t know if I’ll be able to stop</em>.</p><p>His eyes swam with barely restrained desire. His grip on her waist tightened and the hand that cupped her cheek began to tremble in the smallest way. Hermione arched an eyebrow at him, not in condescension, but in gentle reassurance.</p><p>
  <em>You’ve held yourself back for so long, surely one small one can’t hurt.</em>
</p><p>Her soft reassurance helped. Harry felt himself calm, but a small smirk quirked his lips. His eyes flashed in warning.</p><p>
  <em>It would be far from small.</em>
</p><p>At the warning in his eyes, Hermione let out a small, delighted huff. She wound her arms around his neck and tried to draw him in closer. He was so close she could just begin to feel a tingle where they would meet, but she could not draw him that last, imperceptibly small distance. Her eyes flashed in indignation.</p><p><em>Now what?</em><br/>
<br/>
“I love you, Hermione,” Harry rasped. Her annoyed look was wiped away and overcome by one of pure joy.</p><p>“I love you too, Harry,” Hermione sighed. His eyes almost seemed to glow before they were hidden from her sight by her own eyes fluttering closed.</p><p>Their kiss began as a gentle meeting of lips, a soft promise of more to come in days far ahead, but it was too soft. Pulling closer together, they kissed harder, deeper, drawing in breath as a diver just before a great plunge, but they needed more. As her hands threaded the hair at the nape his neck and his arms wound around her waist, their breaths left them and were quickly replaced by another deep inhale. It still wasn’t enough. One long kiss shifted into many short kisses, rapidly started and ended, lips dancing in passion. Tongues dueled in mutually assured pleasure as Hermione felt Harry crush her chest to his. Her fingers curled in his hair as their lips glided across each other. They were drowning in the sensation of each other, and neither knew if the flood would abate on its own. Neither knew if they wanted it to. But for the sake of better things to be saved for when victory had been achieved, it had to. </p><p>Harry pulled away first, but Hermione followed his lips, drawing him back in. Their passion mounted again, and the pair lost themselves in another deep kiss. Hermione made to draw back, but Harry stayed her with a hand drawn from her waist, somehow finding a way to plunge their kiss into new depths. The battle to retreat would have played out for far longer, had they been remembering to breathe.<br/>
<br/>
Their separation came with such a force that it left them both light-headed. Panting into the small space between them, their foreheads leaned on each other. As the aftershocks of that kiss thundered through them, their panting morphed from a catching of breath to deep inhales of scent. From an intimate intake of essence to small huffs of joy. From small chuckling to relieved laughter. That laughter filled the tent and burst into the still night air.<br/>
<br/>
Once more, the gloomy tent was overcome with radiant joy, this time thoroughly mixed with a brilliant love. Laughter elicited tears, and tears brought with them more of the tension and sorrow and grief that had been stewing behind their eyes. Laughter and tears subsided, and a new kiss was begun. </p><p>Where the first had been to communicate the depth of this now acknowledged love, this new one spoke of mutual solidarity, unwavering trust, and boundless support. Less needed to be said, for much had already been known. This kiss was Harry and Hermione’s promise of new levels to that which was already present. With this kiss, they renewed their fervor in hunting for these dark objects. With the kiss after that, they reignited their dedication to finding the sword to destroy them. And with their final kiss, Harry and Hermione rewrote their promise to be by each other’s side to the end of this present darkness, to remain there on into the bright days sure to follow, and to follow the other into whatever lay beyond this world and face that new adventure together.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Those of us on the HMS Harmony Discord Server know what we want to happen. Maybe I'll write it, maybe I won't. Maybe I'll let it happen soon, or maybe they'll wait. Maybe passion will win out, or maybe restraint will triumph. </p><p>Maybe...</p></blockquote></div></div>
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